Phylogenetic Relationships of the Genus Chamaecyparis Inferred from Leaf Essential Oil

Abstract

The species differentiation between Chamaecyparis formosensis, C. obtusa var. formosana, and C. obtusa, based on the composition of the leaf essential oils, was studied. The characterization of the oils by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses showed remarkable differences between these three essential oils. Cluster analysis (CA) and principal-component analysis (PCA) distinguished three groups of essential oils. The C. formosensis oil was dominated by α-pinene while those isolated from C. obtusa var. formosana and C. obtusa were characterized by high levels of (-)-thujopsene and α-terpinyl acetate, respectively. Moreover, the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Chamaecyparis were in agreement with previous findings based on morphological and molecular evidence. In addition, the essential oils from C. obtusa var. formosana could be classified into three chemical types, according to their different characteristic main compounds (β-elemol, (-)-thujopsene, and cis-thujopsenal). The biochemical correlations between the major constituents of the Chamaecyparis species were examined and their relationship is discussed.

Effect on Emotional Behavior and Stress by Inhalation of the Essential oil from Chamaecyparis obtusa

“…There have been many research reports on the components of the typical taxon, C. obtusa [1,2,3,4], along with other reports that have examined the antibacterial and antifungal activity [5][6][7][8]. While in Japan it has been suggested that the essential oil from C. obtusa (EOCO) may have a relaxing effect, there have yet to be any detailed reports on this.…”

Rapid Discrimination and Feature Extraction of Three Chamaecyparis Species by Static-HS/GC–MS

“…As for the essential oils of Cof, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes constituted the major fractions; while monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes accounted for the largest fractions in the oils of Co. 7 Taken as a whole, the essential oil components found in Cof and Co had higher proportion of polar compounds, and their molecular weights were higher than those of compounds found in Cf. The reason that Cof and Co have higher boiling points than Cf might be the additional energy required to break the hydrogen bonds for vaporization of the molecules.…”

“…These were in agreement with the constituents in leaf essential oils. 7 As for the VOCs of leaves collected from Mt. Chilan, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (74.96%) constituted the major fraction, while sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (57.03%) and monoterpenoids hydrocarbons (32.04%) accounted for the largest fraction in the VOCs of leaves collected from Neimaopu.…”

“…It has been highly valued and heavily exploited in Japan for centuries. − It is a tough task to differentiate the subtle characteristics among these three species, in contrast to strong chemical differentiation which was consistent also in specimens collected from sympatric populations . Terpene composition of conifers is usually strongly inherited and has been widely used as a biochemical marker in chemotaxonomic studies to characterize plant species and their geographical or botanical origins. − In a previous study, the phylogenetic relationships of the Chamaecyparis were established, according to their chemical compositions of leaf essential oils, to account for the characteristic compounds of Cf, Cof, and Co, respectively . Lin et al (2011) subsequently demonstrated that solid-phase microextraction (SPME) could be a rapid technique for differentiating these three species .…”

Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Activity of Chamaecyparis obtusa Leaf Extract against the HCT116 Human Colorectal Cancer Cell Line and Investigation of the Bioactive Compound by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics

“…Chamaecyparis obtusa (CO), commonly known as hinoki , belongs to the Cupressaceae family, and it is grown in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea [1,2,3]. CO lumber has been used widely in the manufacture of bathtubs, furniture, and pillow stuffing material, and as a source of CO oil.…”